After two European corona deaths in one day, virologist Marc Van Ranst warns that the corona virus is now so widespread that we can speak of a pandemic. “We are in Europe with infections that have no link with the Chinese source of infection. That is very worrying. There is local distribution on all continents. We have to prepare worldwide. ”
–
In the past 24 hours, two people have died of corona virus in Italy (see inset). That brings the counter in Europe to three deaths. “The first person to die from the effects of the virus was an 80-year-old Chinese tourist in France. Something like that was to be expected. If you develop pneumonia at that age, it is often fatal. The first Italian male victim was also old, but we don’t know much about the female victim at the moment. ”
READ ALSO. Third death from coronavirus in Europe: two people died in Italy, after a fatal victim in France
More worrying is that there is no longer a direct link with China among those killed in Italy. “So now we have infections all over the world and there are several cases that no longer have a clear link with the original source of infection,” says virologist Marc Van Ranst. “We are now entering a new phase. We can speak of a pandemic. It is time to shift up a gear. The whole world must now make much-needed pandemic preparations. “
Photo: pn
The virologist also fears that the quarantines around Chinese infection sites will no longer be sustainable. “They will have to eliminate it very soon because otherwise the economic damage will become too great. To give you an idea: 97 percent of the antibiotics that are taken in the US come from China. The stocks are shrinking. They can’t do anything else, but it can cause problems. “
Banks must also take measures
Making pandemic preparations means that all sectors must prepare themselves for scenarios involving many sick people. “That applies to health care: they must ensure that enough hospital beds are ready, give priority to first-line care, provide sufficient nursing staff, take medicines, etc. But other sectors must also prepare and draw up a continuity plan. From banks, schools and the transport sector to supermarkets. “
For example, a bank must keep plans in mind to ensure that its financial core tasks do not come to a standstill if too many staff fall ill. And a supermarket must take into account the fact that deliveries can stop because the transport sector is experiencing problems due to a large number of sick people.
New European sources of infection
According to Van Ranst, our country is relatively well prepared. “We have such plans, modules and protocols. They exist. We drafted it in 2009 at the time of the Mexican flu, but they must now be updated. The crocus holiday is traditionally a time when everything comes to a halt and everyone likes to go skiing. But we cannot really rest on our laurels. “
–Especially because, according to the virologist, new sources of infection will appear in other European countries in the coming weeks. “It is possible that they will get control points of infection in Italy. Lombardy is not exactly a densely populated area, but the virus is indeed circulating. A seven-day quarantine has also been established around the infected villages. That is too short. Such a measure is only effective once it is twice the incubation time of the virus. For the corona virus that is 5.2 days. For that reason I argue for fourteen days of quarantine. That is doable without flattening an economy and society, but it is necessary. “
–Longer incubation period?
In the Chinese province of Hubei, local authorities report that a 70-year-old man did not show any signs of illness until 27 days after becoming infected. For that reason, it is now suggested that the incubation time of the coronavirus may be much longer than initially thought. “There are a few cases with a longer incubation period, that’s right,” says Van Ranst. “But this is more like an exception. Nothing says that the Chinese man did not contract a second infection. The incubation time of a virus is also an average. It is perfectly possible that it is longer or shorter in some patients. The average incubation time of the coronavirus is still 5.2 days. “
WHO CEO: “Coronavirus outbreak is a serious threat to the whole world”
Trump predicts coronavirus disappearance in April thanks to “warm weather” and praises Chinese authorities
Explainer – What is the corona virus?
– .
